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Samsung HomeSync Set-top Box Launches on October 6 for $300

For those of you looking to upgrade your TV with any number of various set-top boxes available from a multitude of manufacturers, Samsung looks to be throwing its hat into the ring, offering the all-new HomeSync box starting October 6 for $300. “What is HomeSync,” you ask? Well, imagine if Samsung took a Google TV set-top box and skinned it with TouchWiz, then only allowed certain Samsung smartphones (four to be exact) to control it. That’s what HomeSync basically is.

The way it works is you plug the HomeSync box into your TV via HDMI, then you can stream mobile content to the TV, share with other devices in your home, connect to the content at anytime no matter where you are, and also run certain applications on your TV such as YouTube, an Internet browser, games, and social networking apps. The box runs Android 4.2.2, features 2GB of RAM, 8GB of ROM, 1TB of storage, and can act as the center of your connected home. Nanda Ramachandran summed up HomeSync quite simply with this statement.

HomeSync is a powerful platform that we envision to be the center of a household’s connected life. We saw an opportunity to create a companion device at home, that seamlessly syncs all of your mobile content wherever you are.

If you are invested in Samsung’s ecosystem, then I could see this being quite useful, especially if everyone in your family currently owns a Galaxy smartphone that is compatible. But how often is that the case? For all of the detailed info, check out the press release below.

Samsung HomeSync Brings The Best Features of Your Galaxy Devices to Your TV

Newest addition to the Samsung family is the ideal living room companion to your Galaxy device

Dallas, TX — October 3, 2013 – Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) announced today that Samsung HomeSync™, a household Android™ media center for storing, synchronizing and streaming content across multiple devices, will be available beginning October 6 for $299. With HomeSync you can share, view and control content from your Galaxy device directly on your TV while at home or on the go.

“HomeSync is a powerful platform that we envision to be the center of a household’s connected life,” said Nanda Ramachandran, vice president of emerging business at Samsung Mobile. “We saw an opportunity to create a companion device at home, that seamlessly syncs all of your mobile content wherever you are.”

HomeSync’s Android user interface is similar to your Galaxy smartphone or tablet and is easy to use. It allows customers to use their Galaxy device as a remote control to browse through various entertainment choices on their TV. HomeSync also provides 1TB (terabyte) of secure storage for up to eight separate accounts and allows each user the option to sync, as well as upload and download mobile content. This means photos taken by one family member at an event or on the road can be seen by another family member either from their TV or another connected mobile device.

“HomeSync is the latest addition the the Galaxy family of products and builds on Samsung’s commitment to delivering innovative devices and advanced technologies to consumers,” said Travis Merrill, vice president of marketing at Samsung Electronics America.

Key features of Samsung HomeSync include:

Perfect Companion for Your Galaxy Device: HomeSync is the ideal companion for the Galaxy S® 4 or Galaxy Note® 3. It is also compatible with other devices within the Samsung ecosystem, including the Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Note 8.0, Galaxy Note 10.1 – 2014 Edition, Galaxy Camera™, and other devices that use Samsung Link™.

Storage Solution: HomeSync is a storage solution with an expansive 1TB drive that offers both shared and private storage options for an entire household’s core mobile content, such as photo albums, videos, and music libraries, in one secure location.

Real-Time Sharing: Provides access for up to eight separate accounts and allows each user the option to quickly sync and share mobile content in real time, or select specific content to share. Register up to six devices per account so you can access your personal library no matter where you are, no matter what device you’re using.

Access Anywhere: HomeSync provides secure access to your files, photos, music and home videos no matter where you are.

Intuitive Control: Seamlessly control your content on TV with your mobile device – control what’s on screen using your Galaxy smartphone as a remote mouse and use your phone’s keyboard for easy searching, or mirror the HomeSync screen directly on your Galaxy device.

Real Time Streaming: Stream content from a Galaxy device wirelessly to a TV – experience your created content, such as photos and videos, on the big screen then explore your favorite apps and play mobile games in a whole new way on your TV.

HomeSync connects to a TV with an HDMI connection, allowing any TV to be a smart TV. HomeSync features a powerful processor, support for wired or wireless mouse and keyboard, and access to Web browsing, YouTube, apps, games, social networking and more. As part of Galaxy Perks, you may register your Samsung HomeSync and get $50 to spend on movies and TV shows, through Samsung Media Hub. Visit www.samsung.com/us/galaxyperks/homesync

Samsung HomeSync will be available at Samsung Experience Shops™ located in Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, Newegg, Amazon.com and Samsung.com beginning October 6 for $299.

Ok, enough crap here. Closed? You guys are quiet as dad when apple releases whole series of devices which are firmly closed but want more and more from Microsoft or Samsung releases something. Lunatics.

irtechneo

I actually own a Galaxy Note 2, Note 8 and my wife and daughter both have GS3’s so I would be intrigued however at 300 bucks no dice. I also happen to have a Samsung smart tv and can already stream a lot of stuff directly to the TV using Allshare so this is a little useless. My xbox is just fine for youtube and I can use my MHL cable to hook up HDMI to my tv if I ever get the urge to play android games on my tv. They priced themselves right out of the game.

enigmaco

Has anyone had issues contacting their customer service? I didn’t receive my perks from my note 8 purchase, 10 phone calls and a week later and still no resolution.

chris_johns

samsung needs to jump out their own a s s

mini-me

No XBMC. I’ll pass on it unless it falls off the back of truck and I get for $30

Dat

Samsung may have cornered the TV market with Luxury price tags, but I see no reason to buy into any of their other solutions that don’t involve an awesome looking display. Their direction of having a “luxury niche” business model is very apparent in their tactics and pricing and is obviously the models of Apple (and Sony before them) that made me swear off of those brands.
And hate if you want, but IMO Apple design is still better than theirs, albeit much more limited on selection.

http://www.vgchartz.com SuperChunk

The limitations this has is why Google needs to man up and put out a Nexus Chromecast Media Box TV enhancer device. Google would be the only one to do it fully open with full features. It shouldn’t matter if you use android vs ios for a phone tablet. It should just work. It should cast everything, it should work with all apps, it should do it all with an enhanced GTV type feature set all for like $99. (DVR version for like $199)

Hopefully this is what Chromecast is. The first step in the eventual combination of everything Android/ChromeOS/Chromecast/GoogleTV in a box with a dedicated gamepad for strong game support as well.

Hell, it could be the box that ends up being tied to the Google Fiber/Cable service too. Well the DVR variant.

Ej McCarty

I wonder if Samsung knows how much more appealing all of their products would be if they would open them up to all android phones and weren’t so stuck up their own arses. I feel like I’ve thought this before about another company… I can’t remember the name, but I think it has something to do with fruit and steadily falling behind as a company. I just wish I could remember their name. Oh well, hopefully Samsung doesn’t follow the same route. *cough cough*

Droid 1967

I dont get it. A company as big as Samsung doesn’t realize they shoot themselves in the foot but only making their stuff work with their phones? watch, now this what else.
I think apple ought to sue for being a closed up company as they did it first.

Luxferro

I’d also stay away from Samsung. They make way too many models of everything and drop support soon as the next new one comes out. They don’t even update the APIs used by plex so you can watch newer mkvs. Have a UN55D8000 and need to buy a newer model… Its my last Samsung TV.

Luxferro

Even more limited than GTV. Huge failure before its even released.

Pakmann2k

Last year, I bought two Sony NSZ-GT1s for $99 each. For $99ea, I have a full smart TV experience with Google Apps, media streaming from my devices, shared media on my network, Amazon, Netflix, Browser, not to mention that the device is a BlueRay player. The QWERTY remote is handy and serves as an excellent universal remote that powers everything quite nicely but you can use any Android device on wifi to control everything through it. It has IR blasters built into the device so your phone can literally control everything in your media center. I have on attached to a “60 “dumb” plasma and the other to a “46” smart plasma. From the day I got these, I never used the smart features in my 46in so when I bought the 60, I focused on picture quality and skipped all the “SMART” features. As far as storage, I have a 1TB drive connected to my router. My point, I have 1TB storage, 2 smart TVs that can recieve content from any PC or android device, two BlueRay players, and all of it cost me less than this thing. As far as syncing, I do that in the cloud and the players can access anything my phone can.

Bill Hill

Creating closed ecosystem on an open ecosystem, brilliant!

akhnaten

They should charge $3,000. Anyone stupid enough to pay $300 for this POS would gladly pay 10 times that.

jamie57

Wow samsung is really trying to be more and more like apple. Closed ecosystem is not the way to go.

TimTheK

Not to say I think this is a good product. I don’t.
Not to say that I would have any use for it. I don’t.
Not to say that its priced well, It’s not.

But… the one thing that everyone seems to be overlooking in comparing it to a Roku, Chromecast or AppleTV device, is that it’s got a 1TB internal hard drive. So, its more of a NAS device than just a content streaming device.

In summary… I don’t want one, see no use for one over cloud storage & sharing, and think it’s still overpriced for what it is.

Michael Hammond

Hmmmm – seems like this is a neat device, but for its features, too expensive. Closed ecosystem, meh!, not a deal-breaker especially since it runs Android and will probably be rooted. SO many to jump on the “fail” wagon it’s depressing ….

I think my issue would be price – seems a little high.

tomn1ce

Not everyone is into rooting every device they buy….

Diablo81588

300 bucks? Hahaha… The last media streaming box I had from samsung I promptly returned. Absolute garbage.. No thanks.

JBartcaps

Samsung is becoming more and more of a joke

Droid Ronin

Samsung, you need help.

mustbepbs

Surprised they didn’t call it S-HomeSync

Or SmartSync because every god damn thing coming from Samsung is “smart”

Daeshaun Griffiths

On paper it looks good.

http://www.gizmoninja.com/ Tabe

Yeah… Besides the ridiculous price and the fact that it works only with a handful of Samsung devices…

Ryan

Samsung your drunk! Stop just stop.

yummy

Samsung, tastes like Snapple

Ej McCarty

You mean likes tasting apple’s snatch? haha

JoeTi

Wow, Sammy, you mother-forker. How does this help the Android ecosystem? More and more their moves look like they came from the Amazon (or dare I say apple) playbook.

http://www.baldypal.com/ BaldyPal

What is up with these prices? Don’t they want to actually SELL some of these?

Rechie

No thanks Samsung. I’m very much happy with my WD TV Live Hub and it does everything this Sammy box does and more. LOL @ the pricing too.

cancerous_it

Thanks to their execution of Android phones, Samsung has billions in cash. But they don’t want to be solely dependent on a few phones for their total revenue. They have the cash and the desire to diversity their revenue portfolio.

With that said, this effort is shyt. Apple set top boxes are $100. Roku can be had for as little as $50. Who is stupid enough to pay $300 for this thing? This box will be as well received as their smart watch offering. They aren’t apple. They sooner they realize that, the better they and we will be for it.

Jérôme Besnard

I can’t stand Samsung anymore. I don’t recommend anyone the S4 anymore. If you want an unlocked phone with pre-paid, wait for a Nexus 5. If you want a 2 year contract, get a Moto X.

jamdev12

I’m trying to understand Samsung’s rationale for this and the only thing that comes to mind is trying to be CrApple and they want to saturate the market with everything they can throw at it and see what sticks. They have the money, but I don’t have the patien

Kevin Lauscher

this may sell 10 units.

Michael Tate

FAIL!

James Hill

wow, look at Samsung trying to be Apple.

Adrynalyne

They only did it half-arsed though, and tripled the price!

panicswhenubered

Samsung is really starting to piss me off.

BTLS

It still surprises me that out of my Sammy Smart TV, Chromecast, & Roku, only the Roku can scream my videos and pics stored on my phone, which is a Sammy (Gnex)! I got the smart TV AFTER chromecast, so now I pretty much have no use for it any longer, especially since the Chrome extension never really worked well.

morgan boyle

dude, give it some time. Chromecast is better then Samsung Smart TV. SmartTV is so damn clunky.

d-rock

It’s sad that the price doesn’t even compete with AppleTV. Samsung blew this one.

Samsung, you are not apple. This will fail.

gcforreal

OK I love samsung phones (got my note 3 pre ordered) but first The gear now this? This limited to certain galaxy devices functionality(excluding their own mid tier devices such as the mini) is really not smart and will only hurt them in the long run. Also like the gear I think this is a bit overpriced. If Samsung continues gaining traction I fear they may break from android and create a closed os/ecosystem just like Apple.

http://www.baldypal.com/ BaldyPal

i was thinking this same thing, exactly! they are wanting to break away. slowly but surely.

T S

So. . a Galaxy Gear that only works with SOME phones. and now this? why Samsung. . .why!!????

http://www.gizmoninja.com/ Tabe

More closed ecosystem stuff from Samsung… No thanks.

http://Twitter.com/ContestsAccount bigrob60

Looks like they’ve become the new apple.

Adrynalyne

While aiming at a price range higher than Apple. A whole lot of wtf going on with Samsung.

StuckOnVerizonForever

Apple TV has no storage.

StuckOnVerizonForever

Then it wasn’t made for you. Obviously.

http://www.gizmoninja.com/ Tabe

Excellent (ignorant) reply. Thanks.

morgan boyle

Fail! Sounds like this should be released by Apple.

Jeralmac

Hmmm, only works with some phones? Sounds like a closed ecosystem. No thanks, I stay away from the iWorld because of this.

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